Feature: The Biggest Wii U Games of 2014 - Spring Edition

At the start of this year we continued our quarterly tradition of looking at the biggest games coming to the Wii U, this time considering 2014. Even with an admittedly shallow confirmed line-up for the year we'd like to think that it was a list to give optimism to Wii U owners anxious for exciting games to play.

It's now time to take stock and update the list. To begin with the casualties, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze drops out as it's arrived in stores, and we've also made the decision to remove Ubisoft's Watch_Dogs — not only has the title been continually delayed, but the singling out of the Wii U version for an additional delay with no fixed end (aside from '2014') hobbles its potential impact on the system. By the time it arrives on Wii U it will be yesterday's news for many gamers that have played it on any other platform, and it's a release likely doomed to struggle at retail on Nintendo's system as a result.

Once again we're only considering titles currently confirmed for 2014, so some enticing projects of which we've seen little are excluded; they will get an honourable mention at the end, however. We've included some eShop titles once again, though have prioritised those exclusive to the system, despite a substantial range of promising multi-platform downloads also on the way.

So, without further ado, here's our updated list of the biggest games still coming to Wii U in 2014.

A major commercial hope for the Wii U, which Nintendo hopes will excite consumers as much as its predecessors. Some significant marketing activity is underway in Europe, particularly, with Nintendo of America no doubt gearing up for its own campaigns. This new entry brings anti-gravity racing into the mix, with other promised features such as Mario Kart TV providing plenty of intrigue. We've enjoyed the limited demo builds to date and each new trailer and track reveal seems to ramp up the hype further — a crucial title for the system.

Not a great deal needs to be said to hype this one, in truth. Masahiro Sakurai's daily screenshot reveals keep fans interested, and since our January list the roster has continued to grow. No release window has been given as yet, which is surely just a matter of time, but first-time characters such as Little Mac keep the buzz alive, while this title is also coming to the 3DS.

An announcement earlier this year that caused an internet meltdown, as much for the character designs as the fact that Sonic Boom will be exclusive to Wii U and 3DS, accompanying an animated (CG) series and range of toys. The Wii U version is being developed by début studio Big Red Button, which has some pedigree with senior members formerly of Naughty Dogs. An adventure game with each character — and their distinct looks — bringing different abilities, this looks to shake up the Sonic formula; fans of the Sega mascot are no doubt hoping that'll be a good thing.

This has been on our lists since the start of 2013, but it is now pegged for a 2014 release. There's still no solid date on the PlatinumGames project, but it shouldn't be forgotten how much buzz this generated back in August 2012 when it was revealed alongside the Wii U's launch date. It'll be intriguing to see how much of an impact this high-octane sequel can have in stores, while many still hope for a deal to bring a port of the original to the eShop.

Little has been seen of this JRPG from Monolith Soft, yet the most recent Nintendo Direct did give us a taste of combat in which the player alternated between Xenoblade Chronicles-style moves and hopping into a mech for some powered-up combat. It's still listed for 2014 by Nintendo, and we're excited to see more.

Though this hasn't been seen since its shock reveal in the last Nintendo Direct of 2013, we can be pretty confident — considering how rapidly the Dynasty Warriors series is churned out — that it's still due this year. It's worth emphasizing again that this isn't the next full title for The Legend of Zelda, but as an action spin-off may certainly attract a sizeable audience in Japan. As for the rest of the world, we don't mind a bit of button-mashing, right?

Another title that's been kicking around in these lists for a while, with Q3 this year the latest target. This is still coming to Wii U alongside PS4, Xbox One and PC, and at present represents the only major 'serious racer' that we know of coming to the system — there are some lighter and more extravagant options on the way, of course.. Its development has been a little slow, yes, but we're still hopeful that the potential of this one will give us an excellent final product.

An inevitable sequel following the surprise arrival and success of NES Remix at the end of 2013, bringing more tweaks and fun twists on classic 8-bit games. Screens that were released recently certainly give an impression of this sequel being equally as enjoyable as the original, and virtual stamp collectors will no doubt get lost in a retro haze as they chase those last elusive stars.

Another title that's drifted from an original late 2013 target, but was recently given an April release date along with a shiny new trailer. Exclusive to Wii U, this'll make particular use of the GamePad screen with the TV used for a wider view and 'broadcast' flourishes. For fans of bullet-hell and chaotic shooters this certainly seems like one to watch.

This is one that we've agonised over a little, as Shin'en Multimedia hasn't shown anything of this game since its announcement. We're therefore coasting on the potential of an improved, HD sequel to the rather fun FAST - Racing League on WiiWare, and the fact that our memories of the F-Zero franchise fill us with wistful feelings of joy that are going unfulfilled by Nintendo. As mentioned above we've prioritised exclusives on the download front, too, and the talented team at Shin'en have a strong reputation of delivering quality experiences on Nintendo hardware.

So there you have it, ten games that we think represent some of the best of what's coming to Wii U this year. Some major announced titles miss out due to having 'TBC' release windows in Nintendo's most recent update, including Yarn Yoshi and the mysterious Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, not to mention The Legend of Zelda which is likely a 2015 release at best. On the Wii U eShop there are plenty of exciting projects on the way, many multi-platform — special shout-out for Shovel Knight — which should also help fill gaps in the release schedule.

In terms of the final ten in this list, meanwhile, let us know which is your favourite — or some others that we've left out — in the poll and comments below. Be sure to check back soon for our 3DS list, too.

What's your most anticipated Wii U game of 2014? (809 votes)

Mario Kart 8

29%

Super Smash Bros.

30%

Sonic Boom

2%

Bayonetta 2

6%

Monolith Soft's X

23%

Hyrule Warriors

4%

Project CARS

1%

NES Remix 2

1%

Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails

1%

FAST Racing NEO

1%

My choice isn't on the list

Welsh ex-pat Tom is responsible for the day-to-day running of the site. He's the guy to thank for the generally brilliant nature of the content which massages your eyeballs on a daily basis. Also has an unhealthy obsession with all things Bowser.

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User Comments (171)

EDIT: (And the HW vote was me.) So - Bayo2, X, Hyrule Warriors, Sonic Boom, NES Remix 2, FAST Racing NEO are the only ones I'm interested in trying out. I hope the FRN will have a good amount of content to it - Nano Assault Neo did not. Bayo2, X and Sonic Boom are all too largely unknown quantities. NES Remix 2 I'm very interested in after being hooked with NES Remix 1. Hyrule Warriors is the only one anywhere near to being a definite purchase, since I'm pretty fond of the Warriors games and it's often pretty clear what to expect from them.

I thought this list would have only like three games, lol. I don't think Watch_Dogs should've been dropped out. After all the official word is that the game is still coming. Btw, you forgot q.u.b.e. Which is coming out this year as well.

It was hard to decide which one is my "most anticipated" game of the year, so I just voted that is not on the list.

It's sad to realize yet again that these games don't really interest me that much. I will probably need to get excited about some of them until PS4 gets a price drop and some interesting games. I still haven't bought 3D world or W101 so maybe the backlog will keep me busy.

Couldn't care less at the size of the list. I'm excited for almost every single one of those and I don't buy lots of games in a year anyway. Plus I'm getting a PS4 for Arkham Knight which will be a lot of money. Not to mention we'll at the very least get a new Zelda at E3, so there's still more to come.

Sonic Boom and X could be good, but I'm not sure about them yet. I want to see more gameplay. Overall, I can't say I'm terribly excited for anything Nintendo's announced for Wii U, so far it has the most mediocre game library I've ever seen on a Nintendo console.

This list is only the "Spring Edition" and I think it's full of good games. I voted for Kart because that's our family's favorite game, but I'm picking Scram Kitty for sure. Obviously Smash is a buy but it doesn't have a date and until it does, I'm not sure we'll see it until the holiday season. Never played Bayonetta but 2 looks cool. X looks awesome but we'll see. Remix 2 looks fun but I've yet to play the first one. I want Sonic to be good but I'm doubtful.

There are a lot of games I'm looking forward to on the Wii U. However, the poll specifically implied "the most" meaning one. So I of course I chose MK8. That will be my game for the summer. I'm not even purchasing Watch Dogs because I will be on MK8.

To those who are saying that this list is disappointing or too short, these are the "biggest games" coming to Wii U, not all the games coming. If none of these appeal to you, there's still a bunch more games coming this year. There's really no need to be so pessimistic.
Anyway, I'm glad Project Cars was on this list. It deserves it.

I would feel like lying if I didn't vote for Super Smash Bros., so I have to vote for that. The next anticipated game is Mario Kart 8. Other games I'm interested in is NES Remix 2, Sonic Boom, and Hyrule Warriors.

What is it going to take for you all to be satisfied? 100 new games a day?Hasn't anyone noticed that we haven't been getting many games yes, but all the games we have gotten are good or really good. We are in a much more advanced generation of gaming and that means its going to take longer to put out more powerful games. Why must Nintendo be the Boogeyman for everything? Remember Nintendo is also a Publisher, and Publishers need help from their third-party developers, if they don't then they have to do everything on their own as both a publisher and developer having to please a market by themselves. When will everyone open their eyes and realize that not just Nintendo, but the entire video game industry as a whole is not doing very well?

To be honest, I'm hoping for something else this year that really shows off the Wii U, as none of these games are particularly groundbreaking. That said, all of them are sure to be really solid, and I'm most excited for MK8... It would be X, but LOL at it coming out in 2014 in the west.

@TurretGunZ It's partly Nintendo's fault that the video game industry is doing badly. By driving Wii U to the ground with the asinine Gamepad, they're hurting their own games as well as third party games. If there was no Gamepad, Wii U games from both Nintendo and third parties would be selling better.

@Mahe In a reality without the GamePad I would have to give up a few hundred hours of the most fun gaming experiences I've had for the last year and a half that no other platform has been able to offer. So I'll keep it, thanks.

Damn, I can't believe Bayonetta 2 is only 4%. You Nintendo fans really do only want milk. I can't pity you guys anymore when it comes to third parties abandoning Nintendo. I mean seriously? Bayo 2 is doomed to the same fate as TW101, poor Platinum Games.

@SecondServing Because for some reason most people in North America have an inability to play fast paced character action games. I'm not just spouting crap, there is tons of evidence everywhere you go.

@Yosher - "Mario Kart 8, mostly because that one's the only one of those that I'm looking forward to with a set release date!"

I think that sums things up nicely. I think I'ld rather have Bayonetta 2 and X, but it's hard to have "anticiaption" for a game w/o a date. X will be probably be 2016 judging by the Xenoblade delay. B2 should have been out already so who knows. And SSB will probably be early 2015.

@TurretGunZ Look around you. Most of the people saying they're not satisfied with the lineup are saying the games aren't new or exciting. Do you really think most of them are going to think differently of PS4 and One? Yes, the entire game industry is sucking, and that's the problem. Just because Nintendo isn't doing significantly worse than the competition doesn't mean Nintendo is immune to criticism.

Also, Nintendo is getting more criticism because they're the gaming company that people turn to for new, exciting games. They're better than this. So it's disappointing that Nintendo has succumbed to rehashing like the others have, and that gaming's last resort for innovation has failed.

It was a tough choice between Smash Bros and X, but i chose Smash... Mostly because i still am not convinced that X will see a western release this year. We havent seen much footage on it, and everything we have seen has been all in Japanese. Seeing how huge the game is gonna be , it'll take months to localize. Dont see how it possibly leaves Japan til spring 2015 at the earliest based on what we've seen.

Anyway, this "I can't pity you guys anymore when it comes to third parties abandoning Nintendo" doesn't make any sense. You are talking as if you are somewhere and users on the website are somewhere else. Everybody can buy all the third party games they want.

I expect SSB and X in 2015, and I hope for Bayonetta this year (although, it's still big unknown).

It wouldn't make sense to release all of these games in 2014. June and July are out of the question, because E3 and most of the time there are incredible drought yearly that time, so nothing there (info about release of the game month before release would be something new, though). We are left with August, September, October, November and December. It looks little far fetched that they will release 1st party/exclusives monthly. You think why Tropical Freeze was pushed? Most of the people thought it's because of fixing, but I knew the truth, and that is they wanted to feel the gap between the release of the Mario Kart and give a chance to sell to previous games. Now if you've beaten or are getting into TF, you will have less to wait.They know next month will be Mario Kart, so it will be played by people like crazy, so no need to release anything for another 2-3 months, only indies.

In other words, expect indies to feel the drought.

Voted for Bayonetta - loved the first one, and overall platinum's games in this genre are awesome.

@TurretGunZ Nope. Nintendo used to make games like Metroid Prime and Super Mario Galaxy, where they would build onto the gameplay with new gameplay mechanics or a new setting, creating an entirely new experience. Now granted, there are a few games on this list that could do that (in a positive way), but they're either not very attention grabbing or we know too little about them at this point to get excited about them.

Now they just copy/paste classic gameplay into the next game and do pretty much nothing with it. It just feels like an extension of the last game that I played, and that's not really new or exciting.

All in all, Nintendo needs to step it up at E3. Even if you take into account the time and effort it takes to develop HD games, there's no excuse for them not to have something more interesting to show by that point.

@SecondServing as much as i'd love to get Zelda U in 2014, i don't see any way in the universe that happens, as it hasnt even officially been announced yet. However, if they show it at E3 and at the end say 'Coming Fall 2014,' then Nintendo wins E3, no matter what else they or the other companies show off.

@Bolt_Strike Honestly ...Why does everything have to be new and perfect? The simplest of things can be the funnest. If people like you keep setting their expectations as high as the sun then well of course you will never be satisfied. Video Games are entertainment, FUN. F, U, N. FUN! Nintendo still does this. With people like you you've seen so much and your perception of things have become one sided, biased and all Nostalgia opinionated. People like you don't deserve to even have a voice. I can see why Nintendo wants to appeal more to newer fans.

@TurretGunZ But that's the thing, whether or not something is fun IS an opinion. What you say is fun, someone else may thing is boring. Never once did I say I wanted a "perfect" game, I just want something more original than what we have now. That's not unreasonable at all, especially when you're talking about a game company that has garnered a reputation in the past for fresh, creative ideas.

This is the first time I've ever been unexcited for a Mario Kart game. Maybe that will change as the launch approaches, but usually the first trailer hooks me in and then every day thereafter is more painful waiting.

Huh, I was expecting Sonic Boom to have a higher turnout. Super Smash Bros. is a hype juggernaut, I guess. But still, don't I count as more than one vote?

Also, I don't think Xenogame is coming out this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if Super Smash Bros. is delayed into 2015.

As much as I'm hyped for Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros 4 and X, my pick was Bayonetta 2. I'm sorry but that game just looks too good to contain all the fun on one disc!

Just because games like Fast Racing Neo, Scram Kitty, Sonic Boom, Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta 2 didn't score high, that just means they're not everyone's TOP pick. I'm still SUPER STOKED for pretty much all the games on the list, save perhaps Project Cars (although I'll still end up buying it).

Especially that Scram Kitty and Fast Racing Neo. Those are gonna be fantastic!

this is the same list as last time except they took out watch dogs and replaced it for sonic boom and added nes remix 2. Im going to get them all eventually,but this list is too short and the same barely any changes to it.

@Melkac i know bayonetta 2 percentage is way too low i feel like its going to sell worse than the first did cause no one wants it and does not think. The wiiu has an exclusive game that people been complaining about making it for the ps4 or the xbox one and the wiiu owners dont want it great.

I think Bayonetta 2 will do excellent sales .... the low percentage in the poll is mainly because you could only choose one title on the list and we know that Mario Kart 8 and/or Super Smash Bros. is on most peoples list .... and thus gets the majority of votes .... but Bayonetta 2 is a Wii U exclusive and from what I have heard there is lots of interest in it and I definitely will be supporting an exclusive game for the Wii U.

This list is pretty cool. Since I don't have a Wii U I won't vote, but if I did it would certainly go to X. Game looks fantastic to me. Mario Kart 8 and Smash are going to be fun no doubt, and Bayonetta 2 looks great as well. Might pick up the first one and see what I think about it then.

The left out Child of Light and Oddworld Tasty.....both of which are digital only middleware. For me CoL is critical as if it sells maybe we still get something further from Ubi. Plus it looks so good and is coming April 30.

The titles announced all look like quality but we really need some suprises and a co-op announcement from Ninendo at e3 would be great....something with Squeenix or Capcom would be awesome. What did Regie mean when he said 'no more drought' on WiiU? Is one major game a qtr enough?

My most anticipiated is SmTxFE and we have never even seen 10sec of tnat game.....would it kill Ninendo to show us something?

@TheKingOfTown
Wait until E3. If you think this is all that nintendo has to offer this year than you are sorely mistaken dude. expect some big gnarly OMFG announcements that will blow your mother brain & blaster master beyond, with new nintendo games hitting the 2nd half of the year. they really need to up the ante this E3. 2010 was the last great nintendo E3 showing imo!

I am most excited for PROJECT CARS on Wii U !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know what? I honestly think this list makes the PS4 2014 launch list look sad. Of course there's a lot more games there, but 95% are indie crap. When you pick the gems out, the Wii U comes on top. I mean come on, people...Monolith's X (by far the most promising title atm for me at least), Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros and Bayonetta 2!! Roll on E3 with a few more hype inducing announcements (hopefully focused on innovative Gamepad usage) and I'm happy.

Buying them all but I cant really pick which one I want most. I picked Bayo2 just because it was low. If it does t sell well Wii U gamers can give up hope on anymore big 3rd party games, so if your a Wii U owner you better pick it up.

Also people need to start reading the articles they are commenting on, no where in the article does it state that this is a comprehensive list of 2014 releases, I guess the title wasn't a big enough clue...

I had to choose MK8 in the end but this is a top quality list. As many others have said give me quality over quantity every time. I feel that this shaping up to be like a Gamecube generation all over again, where I pretty much only buy games from Nintendo and 3rd party games are for the other consoles

We've always limited these to 10, trying to pick out the best options we can, but of course, it's always open for debate. It's not all of the games coming, just a selection that we think are the best confirmed titles right now. With the eShop games there's obviously a significant range to choose from, but we targeted exclusives.

I had to select "X" because its the title I am looking forward to coming out most regardless of Platform - special mention of projects cars should be said though - looks very good and will also be day 1 for me

If you mean the gamepad I really like the controller - its the reason I am picking up games on the Wii U instead of the PS3 at the moment (latest game I got in question was Assassins Creed IV Black Flag - loving it atm) - its a choice between having trophies or having the gamepad with off screen play, and since my gamepad can work in my bedroom (living room is directly below) the choice was obvious...if they didn't have the gamepad there would be no reason for me to pick up multiplatform titles on the wii u

Mario Kart 8 is the only thing that excites me on that list. Super Smash Bros. probably will when it comes out but that feels so far off I'm nowhere near hyped.

Hopefully at E3 we'll see some exciting surprises and more of Yarn Yoshi and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong tech demo that did the rounds a few weeks ago. Super Mario Galaxy HD is surely a no brainer at this point too...

@Grumblevolcano Yeah, I was just saying what I'd like to see since it see,ed fun and I never really played much of that franchise (will hopefully pick it up the GBA version on VC if a Wii U version doesn't happen).

Saying that though when they first announced the console itself at E3 they said what became New Super Mario U and a few parts of Nintendo Land were just tech demos/concepts.

@deltamikemike I'd be really happy if a Wii U VC port of the GBA title happens, it is very different from the other games in the Mario vs Donkey Kong series though so adding one of the DS titles as well would give the best of both gameplay types.

@arkady77 Project CARS is one of the few if not the first Racing simulator game for Nintendo ever! To me this game is high up in anticipation as one of the games I cant wait to play. Ive been excited for It since I saw it in a sizzle reelin the feb 2013 direct! Whew... didnt know I could still be excited for a game that long. I wish I could say im still excited for watch dogs but im not.

my most anticipated game is Mario Kart 8! because it's got a release date. There's been a lot of trailers and footage, I played the demo at Eurogamer Expo last year, and I've even pre ordered the limited edition version.

Could've been Super smash bros. but there is no release date, I haven't really seen enough footage of it and haven't seen enough information about it. Besides from Sakurai's screenshots

Actually excited for all these games they all seem so promising. Definitely looking for that bayonetta 2 though. Monolith is second for me, Kart and Smash are Automatic so i wont even try to compare them to any other games in that line up. What is this project cars im interested to say the least.